Students from top state schools face university black list

A top university has drawn up a list of high-performing state schools whose pupils face being denied places because of ‘positive discrimination’, according to the Sunday Times.

The newspaper claims the confidential document shows that it is not just students from independent schools who are missing out due to government-imposed targets to broaden the social mix of undergraduates.

The Sunday Times said this shows that students from low-achieving state schools are given preference and chosen for degree courses, even though their A-level grades are significantly worse than their rivals’ at better schools.

John McIntosh, headmaster of the London Oratory, the Catholic school attended by Tony Blair’s children, attacked universities for using ‘under-the-counter’ devices to hit their targets.

“It is very confusing for parents when they are choosing a school. They are not going to send their children to poor schools, but they will care about the unfairness of these schemes. It is not up to universities to compensate for low-achieving schools,” he said.